France Allied with American Colonies
February 6, 1778
France had been secretly aiding the American Colonies since 1776, because France was angry at Britain over the loss of Colonial territory in the French and Indian War. In 1776, the Continental Congress sent diplomat Benjamin Franklin, along with Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, to France to secure a formal alliance. When Franklin came to the signing ceremony, he wore, as a symbol, the same brown velvet suit he had worn when he appeared before Britain's Privy Council in 1774. At the time, he was accused of theft for having brought to light British documents that showed the British were purposefully repressing the Colonies.